Home entertainment systems increasingly include both Personal Computer and television functions (PC/TV functions) involving multiple source and multiple destination communication. Such a system may receive data from satellite or terrestrial sources comprising High Definition Television (HDTV) broadcasts, Multi-point Microwave Distribution System (MMDS) broadcasts and Digital Video Broadcasts (DVB). Such a system may also provide high speed Internet access through a broadcast link or a coaxial link (e.g. cable TV lines) using a cable modem or via a telephone line link using an ADSL or ISDN (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line or Integrated Services Digital Network) compatible modem, for example. A home entertainment system may also communicate with local sources such as Digital Video Disk (DVD), CDROM, VHS, and Digital VHS (DVHS™) type players, PCs, set top boxes and many other types of sources.
It is desirable for a home entertainment system supporting Internet compatible bi-directional communication using cable and other types of modems to be able to provide security and flexibility of operation. Specifically, it is desirable to provide a secure User interface preventing unauthorized Internet access and supporting complex User interactive tasks whilst providing a simple command interface suitable for the general public. It is further desirable to provide User flexibility in configuring home entertainment communication functions and in allocating Internet domain names (e.g. Universal Resource Locators—URLs) to manage and access elements and peripherals of a home entertainment system and to support Internet applications. Such applications may involve devices including video receivers, audio receivers, VCRs, DVDs, PCs, printers, scanners, copiers, telephones, fax machines and home appliances that are operated in stand alone mode or in a domestic (or other) intra-net, for example. These problems and derivative problems are addressed by a system according to the present invention.